The San Diego Padres' ongoing quest for a World Series (or at least a playoff title). "You know that many runners enter a race, but only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever." 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

Sweep ‘Em Outta Here

What a weekend! These Padres are on a roll!

Friday: 7-3 Padres

Shawn Hill started the game, going five innings and giving up only two runs on seven hits. We picked up this guy like, last week. I think it’s great that he was able to pitch so well on Friday!

The rest of the bullpen was great. Hill left the game with the bases loaded and no outs. Luke Gregerson came in and got a grounder to first, where Adrian Gonzalez fired it home to get the force out, and Nick Hundley threw it back to get the hitter. Gregerson then struck out the next batter. I have been really pleased with Luke this week. He’s been so solid!

Let me tell you, the pitching has been incredible so far. And when the offense and defense is solid too, the Padres are going to have a good night at the ball yard.

The man of the night, as he has been for many nights, was Scott Hairston. First off, he got a single and scored our first run in the bottom of the first. We got three runs in the bottom of the first, thanks in part to a Brian Giles double and a Kevin Kouzmanoff single.

In the fourth, Brian Giles drove in David Eckstein with a single for the 4-1 lead. In the top of the seventh, Bengie Molina was at the plate with a runner on. He hit a long shot to left center field, and it looked like it was going out. Chase Headley was running over there from left field, but Scotty came in from center, leaping at the wall, and catching the ball. If Scotty hadn’t caught that, it would have been a tying two-run homer. Instead, Molina, disbelieving, was out. It was an incredible catch by Scott Hairston!

He wasn’t done though. In the bottom of that seventh, he came up to the plate with two runners on. What does he do? He hits a three-run homer! What a night for this guy! All in all, he had three hits, drove in three runs, stole a base, and made some spectacular plays. Hairston has done nothing but incredible things since we got him in late 2007. What a player!

Edward Mujica and Duaner Sanchez had scoreless innings. Edwin Moreno ran into a little trouble in the ninth, allowing a run, but he got out of it and closed the game.

This was an all-around incredible game. The pitching was solid, the defense was fantastic, the offense was amazing. All the guys in the top of the order had a really good game. Scotty, Eckstein, Giles…whoo hoo!

Jake was excellent last night, very Jake-like. His Opening Day start was solid, but he wasn’t the best. This time was the real Jake. Take 8.1 innings, 10 strikeouts, three runs, 106 pitches. He was so sharp, so on his game. It was incredible!

Both starting pitchers were really good for the first few innings. Jake and Jonathan Sanchez weren’t giving up anything. Until the third. Padres catcher Henry Blanco started off the inning with a solo homer.

But the Giants got that run right back in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the sixth, the Padres took the lead for good. Henry Blanco led off the inning again, and he hit a solo homer again. Jake walked, Scott Hairston singled, and David Eckstein walked. Brian Giles flew out, but then Adrian Gonzalez hit a double that cleared the bases. It was great.

Chase Headley hit his first homer of the season, getting the Padres’ sixth and last run of the night.

In the top of the ninth, Jake started running into some trouble. He had 105 pitches, and his next one was a run-scoring double. So, Buddy took him out. Jake wasn’t too happy about it, I know he wanted to finish the game out. But Heath Bell came in to save his third game in three chances. He got a strikeout, then a pop-out to my boy Kouz in foul territory. Yay!

It was a great win for the Padres. Jake and Henry each had a really great game. By the way, Peavy and Blanco have been working really well together. I wouldn’t be surprised if Blanco caught Jake for the rest of the season.

Sunday: 6-1 Padres

I got to watch the majority of this game, probably from the fourth inning to the end. It was so much fun to be able to see all the players and to see the game fold out before my eyes. I never get to watch baseball, so it’s really special for me to just be able to watch a game on TV!

Chris Young against Tim Lincecum. What a matchup! I knew it would be a classic game, but I thought my Padres would come out on top. We had the momentum, and CY was very solid his last time out. This time, he was even better.

He went seven innings, giving up five hits and one unearned run with seven strikeouts. He even hit a single, his second hit of the season! He was mowing, man. I was really pleased with his outing. He did a great, great job.

Lincecum was good, too. He seemed a lot more vulnerable than when we faced him last year. Maybe it’s just because of the confidence the Padres and their fans have. But I knew my Padres could beat him, even if he won the CY Young last year. He seems to have been off to a slow start this season. He was getting us out, but he wasn’t overpowering and dominating like last year.

In the third, the Padres’ offense turned on. Jody Gerut doubled, and a few batters later, Adrian Gonzalez drove him in with a single. Chase Headley then hit his second homer of the season.

In the sixth, Nick Hundley tripled to start the inning and Luis Rodriguez promptly sacrifice-flied him in.

The seventh led off with Adrian and Chase each hitting a single. Nick singled to drive in Adrian and Rodriguez sac-flied again to drive in Chase.

Luke Gregerson came into the game to relieve CY. He allowed two hits, but he threw two solid innings and has not given up a run yet. He’s pitched five innings so far this week.

Adrian Gonzalez had two hits, Kouz had two hits, Chase had two hits, and Nick Hundley had four hits, a career high. Nick actually went single, double, triple…and single. Too bad he didn’t hit for the cycle, but still a great game for Nick.

It was a great 6-1 win for the Padres. I think the best word that describes this team right now is solid. The pitching has been incredibly solid, the hitting has been solid, and the defense has been solid. This team is solid, confident, and they are winners!

We’re on top of the NL West right now. I know, I know, it’s crazy early, but we’re on top! This team that is supposed to lose 100+ games is better than anyone in the West right now. They’re on a four-game winning streak, and I don’t see any stopping them. They are fired up and totally confident. They go out there every game with a winning mindset. I know it’s cliché, but this team really has it. They really think, know, that they can win every single game. I really don’t see them stopping now. I mean, I’m sure we’re going to lose sometime, but right now, we are on a roll.

This team is exciting. They are exceeding expectations, they are winning, playing hard. They’re turning some heads. We can do this. We can win this crazy NL West. I truly believe that we have a chance for the playoffs this year. Of course, this is me speaking after the first week. There’s a ton of baseball left to be played. But there’s no doubt, no matter what happens for the rest of the season, we will remember this week. It was the start of hope. It was shocking, exciting, unexpected. For this one week at least, the Padres were good. They played the best baseball they’ve played in a long time. But best of all, they played together, and they won. They won five games, four in a row. This week showed how real baseball is supposed to be played. They played hard, they played solid, and they won, together.

That’s my team! That my Padres! Yep, that’s us ON TOP OF THE NL WEST!! Nope, not dead last, but very first. I am so fired up about these Padres!

The next victim, er, should I say opponent, is the New York Mets. Citi Field will be opening today. The Padres will have the honor of being the first opposing team in the stadium. Walter Silva will get to pitch against Mike Pelfrey. I expect Silva to be much more confident and calm as he goes out for his second big league start.

Kaybee,
Congratulations! I kind of feel the same way about sports in general here in the Northwest…Blazers, Mariners, all doing pretty well! (Knock on wood.) Enjoy the sweet taste of being on top; I hope it lasts for longer!
Paigehttp://bestof162.mlblogs.com/

GO PADRES! Boy we are on a roll!!! I’m still pumped up right now. I mean, we are first place in NL West and no one can argue about it :) The sweep was so sweet at downtown this weekend. Things are looking great right now.http://hyunyoung.mlblogs.com

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